Malaysian police arrested a suspected Islamic State (IS) supporter today while he was waiting for a flight at KL International Airport, the country’s police chief said.

The 39-year-old suspect was on the way to Syria using Brunei as a transit point, inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar said.

“From Brunei he was supposed to take a flight to Turkey and then go to Syria,” he told reporters in a press briefing.

Khalid said the arrest brought to 46 the total number of suspected Malaysian Islamic State supporters detained by the police since Malaysia stepped up operations against the militants earlier in the year.

Home Affairs Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said police had identified 39 Malaysians who have joined the Islamist militants in Syria and Iraq.

- dpa